Dr. James E. West

1931 · Birth year

What James contributed

Co-invented the foil-electret microphone, a compact and dependable sound-conversion technology.

The story

West developed the microphone at Bell Laboratories with Gerhard Sessler. The design's small size, low cost, and reliability led to enormous worldwide adoption.

Why it matters

Electret microphones became widely used in telephones, recording equipment, hearing aids, cameras, and many other devices.

Patent record
U.S. Patent 3,118,022